Housing Development Strategy - Report - Page 15
Partnerships, communications and tenant involvement
Partnerships
Communication and Tenant Involvement
We have strong established links
with Registered Providers who
make a significant contribution
to housing supply in our area. It
is important that this continues
and we intend to work alongside
our partners and envisage a
complimentary approach to the
delivery of affordable homes.
It is important that decisions are made in an open, transparent and accountable way. It is also essential that
they are made promptly so that progress is maintained. Consultation and involvement is very important but
it cannot entirely dictate when, where and how decisions are made.
This
Development
Strategy
adopts a position of ensuring an
element of competition between
Registered Providers to deliver
affordable homes via Section 106
planning obligations to ensure a
viable market for developers in our
area. We are prepared to compete
ourselves with our partners where
it appears there is low interest in a
development.
Where our tenants are directly affected by redevelopment, we will discuss proposals early in the process,
outline their housing options and support them in making a choice. The aim will be to enable households
to stay within their community if they wish. Households will be given a management priority to move, either
permanently or temporarily, to suitable housing in an area of their choice. In many cases they will be offered
the opportunity of returning to one of the new properties. In most cases tenants who must move will be
entitled to compensation.
Where opportunities arise with
other public bodies such as the
County Council, Ministry of Defence
and Homes England to acquire
land or work on joint development
opportunities we will investigate
these opportunities.
Many of the projects being considered will be close to existing housing. We are very aware that building more
homes will bring changes but if done in a sensitive way and to a high standard there is no reason why this
should not be acceptable. All our developments will be the subject to some degree of public consultation
prior to finalising any plans and submitting a planning application. Engaging parish and town councils will
form a key part of our consultation process.
Residents of the new homes will have the opportunity to feed back after living in the homes for 12 months.
This will enable us to consider any improvements in subsequent projects. Our use of HRA funds is limited to
our housing projects, but where there is a need for community improvements such as open space or play
equipment, we will give this consideration.
Our Actions
16 - Introduce a 12 month follow-up
survey on all new developments and
redevelopments to identify issues and
learning to inform future developments.
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